I am a single parent to a 3.5 year old, I currently claim income support which means I have full housing benefit and council tax reduction.
I have just started a uni course but my current voluntary place of work has offered me 20 hours paid work at the living wage which is £10 an hour before tax.
this is my dream job, but I am so confused to whether I am better off in work or not! I want this job so badly but it would be madness if we ended up worse off.
I have tried the online calculators on different sites and seem to get different answers, also the lingo is different regarding Universal credit as I am currently still on the old system.
from what I can gather you seem penalised either way, I spoke to the DWP but didn’t want to basically say am I better on benefits? as they obviously want you back in work! I really want to be in work, hence me doing my course to one day get a job where I volunteer, but we already struggle and couldn’t afford a drop.
I was told I would move onto Universal credit and that was fine but I am confused at whether earning 10,400 would still allow me to have housing benefit?
has anyone else experienced this or can shed any light in basic terms.